The invention relates to a digital tampon for feminine hygiene, with a recovery tape at its recovery end, the tampon being formed from an approximately cylindrical blank, shaped by winding up a length of continuous fibre web, and narrow strip-shaped portions of the circumferential surface of the wound blank arranged at equal angular distances from one another being pressed radially relative to the longitudinal mid-axis of the latter to produce a preform which, as seen in cross-section, consists of an approximately circular fibre core of high compaction and buckling strength and of longitudinal ribs of softer fibre structure with coarser capillarity, which extend radially outwards from the fibre core and which are separated from one another by outwardly open longitudinal grooves, and only the soft longitudinal ribs of the preform being exposed to a weak, uniform pressure radial relative to the longitudinal mid-axis of the preform, in such a way that the outer ends of the longitudinal ribs form a soft, essentially smooth-cylindrical surface of smaller diameter corresponding to the final shape of the finished tampon, with the coarser capillary structure being maintained.
Tampons of this generic type are known from DE 3,934,153 C2. They are, as a rule, packaged individually and are introduced into the body cavity by hand, without an introduction aid. In the proper position or even in any position, the recovery tape bears against the recovery end of the tampon or has been pressed into this. After the individual pack has been opened, therefore, the recovery tape first has to be detached from the recovery end of the tampon, before the digital tampon can be introduced. This detachment of the recovery tape from the recovery end of the tampon becomes a troublesome manipulation when the recovery tape is anchored to a greater or lesser depth or firmly in the pressed fibre composite of the tampon during its production. There is provided for producing this tampon a so-called progressive press, in which two different groups of press jaws press the tampon in succession to produce a preform, before the latter is subsequently brought to the final shape of the finished tampon in a die. This progressive pressing causes an expansion of the tampon which is similar to the shape of a quadrangle and as a result of which it is not always possible to prevent some risk of leakage when the tampon is employed. The tampon necessitates the use of a relatively large amount of material, by means of which a high stability or buckling strength of the tampon desired for digital tampons is achieved. However, this advantage is afforded at the expense of a lower activatability of the fibre material, compacted in the axial fibre core of the tampon, by fluid coming into contact with this fibre material, thus contributing, in conjunction with a heating of the fibre material during the pressing of the latter, to an impairment of the absorbency and speed of absorption.
Once the recovery tape has been detached from the recovery end of the tampon before the introduction of the latter, the tampon, after being inserted into the body cavity, is introduced into the body cavity completely by means of a finger by the exertion of pressure on the recovery end of the tampon. This complete introduction of the tampon can also present difficulties, because a finger can slip off from the recovery end of the tampon as a result of deficient guidance. Moreover, relatively firm fibre consistency of the tampon additionally entails psychological problems which can be detrimental to the acceptance of the tampon. Since fibre material can build up between the centrally arranged press jaws, which influences the pressing of said fibre material and can no longer be smoothed onto the surface of the tampon, the fibre material remains visible as a narrow fin which is undesirable both for psychological and for physiological reasons.